Dictatorial Misrule
As the crimes of the former president become ever more obvious, we are reminded of the words of Shakespeare, who might have been describing the White House from 2017-2021: “Hell…
Demagogues in American Politics
At a recent talk at the University of Texas in Austin, Dr. Charles Zug explained how he was led to a study of a particularly problematic element of American politics.…
EUROMISSILES: The Cold War Gambit
“In a somewhat unusual thing for a book, my central cast of characters are three types of missiles.” So stated Dr. Susan Colbourn in a recent talk at the University…
How China Derailed its Peaceful Rise
“Trump cabinet meetings eerily resembled high-level meetings in Beijing as, one by one, the senior officials praised the wisdom of their leader. The unpredictable interactions between the administrations of the…
MIDWAY: How America won the War in the Pacific
The Silver Waterfall has been written by Brendan Simms and Steven McGregor. McGregor, who gave a talk on the book in Austin (hosted by the Clements Center), is a US…
Reagan the Peacemaker: A Major New Book
When Ronald Reagan was running for the Presidency, many thought he was a warmonger. The fear that he would lead the United States into a bloody conflict was palpably real…
Trail of Lights ends tonite
It’s been a difficult week for Austin’s Trail of Lights. Wet conditions closed it one night, and severe cold closed it last night. It started this year on a very…
Evanovich: Not Literary, but Famous
“I always wanted to be rich and famous, and I am!” Janet Evanovich was anything but subtle in her appearance at the Texas Book Festival, where she declared “I think…
THE FALL OF TROY: An Extraordinary Night of Music
On a trip to a church in London in September, I chanced upon a colourful card giving notice of a concert a few days hence. Even though it was in…
Pride Night at Trail of Lights
In addition to December 21st being the inaugural PRIDE Specialty Night, Austin Trail of Lights is hosting a PRIDE Holiday Party on Dec 21. PRIDE Party ticket holders will gain…